Technology and Dating

Technology and Dating.

When I think of the impact that technology such as the internet, cell phones, iPods and such have had on dating I realize that it could be described as profound. As many I'm sure would agree, before cyber technology, dating (as well as other ventures) were more personal. There was probably a lot of guess work as to how to approach a person so as to not get rejected or at least not get rejected too harshly. If the person was shy or more introverted, there was a possibility that meeting someone for a date was even more difficult. Cyber technology, having made life easier as a whole, has also made dating easier. If a person was indeed shy or introverted or simply a little "socially challenged", with the use of the internet, they can communicate intentions in a more secure manner without feeling the full effects of a rejection should that be the case (Sargenti, 2011). The use of technology for dating has simplified the process allowing for people to be able to cover more ground as far as selecting an ideal candidate. A person, using social media sites such as Facebook can easily connect with others whether they are from past relationships or someone new. I think that one of the essential reasons for this is because dating and social media sites have taken some of the burden of having to introduce oneself. Anyone can easily browse through the many different listings of the qualities that they desire in a person as well as see a picture.

Online dating seems to have success. According to a survey done by Harris Interactive, "...eHarmony is responsible for nearly 5% of marriages in the U.S." (www.eharmony.com). While attempting to view the Match.com site, one sees a pop up with an affirmation that "1 in 5 relationships start online and more of them start on Match.com" (www.match.com). The pop up also asks for information as to what you are searching for in order to enter the site. I did not do this so I wasn't able to see how they substantiated their claim. At first glance, a person could think they are not entirely remiss with the statistic Match.com presented, yet there could be information that would argue otherwise. According to some research done on the methods for matching individuals for online dating, it is believed that although some aspects of the interested parties are apparent from the beginning, many other important factors are left to be discovered (Finkel & Benjamin 2012). The factors involved could be personal issues, how these issues

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